Sand Creek Massacre Memorial Coming to Colorado Capitol Steps

One of the darkest events to take place in the history of Colorado actually occurred a few years before the Centennial State existed, an event known as the Sand Creek Massacre.

Read More: The Sand Creek Massacre: A Dark Page in Colorado’s History Books |

In November of 1864, a slaughter of somewhere between 70 and 600 Cheyenne men, women, and children were killed in a surprise attack initiated by Colonel John Chivington in present-day Kiowa County, Colorado.

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While the infamous massacre is memorialized by a site dedicated to its history on the very land where it occurred, plans are currently in place to erect a larger, more meaningful memorial in the form of a statue on the steps of the Colorado Capitol Building.

Sand Creek Massacre Memorial to be Erected on Colorado State Capitol Building Steps

The project is the brainchild of Otto Braided Hair Jr. of the Sand Creek Massacre Foundation, a man of Northern Cheyenne descent and great-grandson of a survivor of the attack.

Once completed, the memorial will be 24 feet tall and will feature depictions of a Cheyenne Chief, an Arapahoe Chief, and a woman holding a child in a teepee with a United States flag flying above.

This project will be erected on the west steps of the Colorado State Capitol Building in the same area that was home to a Civil War statue until it was removed by protesters in 2020.

The art itself is a product of artist Gerald Anthony Shippen and is projected to be completed and installed in 2026.